Envelop-cutter.



C. A. FISCHER.

ENVELOP CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1909" 950,099. Patented Feb. 22,1910.

UNTTED @TATES PATENT @FFTQE.

CHRTSTIAN A. FISCHER, 'OF GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA.

ENVELOP-CU'I'TEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHRISTIAN A. FISCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of NorthDakota, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements inEnvelop-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements indevices for clipping envelops in order that their contents may be easilyextracted, and the invention has for its primary object a simple,durable and efiicient construction of envelop cutter which consists ofcomparatively few parts, which may be cheaply manufactured and easilyassembled, and which will operate efliciently and positively to cut offa portion of the sealed envelop and not produce merely a jagged orpartial cut, so that any desired number of envelops may be easily andquickly clipped without finding after the operation has been performedthat one or more in the bundle have not been properly cut. And theinvention also has for its obj ect a device of this character whichembodies a yieldable and adjustable gaging means against which the endof the envelop is pressed preparatory to the shearing operation, theyieldable and adjustable gaging device not only providing means wherebyany appreciable portion of the sealed envelop may be cut ofl, but alsoserving to effectually press the knife up against the cutter bar toeffect a sharp shearing out.

With these and other objects in view that will more fully appear as'thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain combinations,constructions and arrangements of parts, that I shall hereinafter fullydescribe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, andalso to acquire aknowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor effecting the result reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved envelop cutter. Fig. 2 isa transverse sectional view thereof, the section being taken close toand in a plane parallel with the blade. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional view, the section being taken approximately onthe line 3-3 ofFig.2. Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line 44 of Fig. 3,

. looking in the direction of 'the arrow, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1909.

Serial No. 490,308.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section illustrating the specific structureof one of the gage pins.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the base or stand ofmy improved envelop cutting device, the same being of any desired shapeor design, and embodying sides and a relatively elevated top, the lat.-ter forming the bed 2 of the device upon which are placed the envelopsto be cut. The base 1 is formed at its rear side with a bearing lug 3,which is apertured to receive a screw or similar device that pivotallyconnects to the said lug a swinging blade carrying arm 4, the said armbeing mounted to swing over and upon the bed 2 in a direction at rightangles to the length thereof. The arm a is provided at one end with ahandle by which it may be manipulated, and is formed with any desirednumber of slots, 5. A blade 6- is provided with attaching screwsinserted in the slots 5 and arranged to clamp the blade to the arm 4,the operation of the slots 5 rendering the blade susceptible toadjustment in an obvious manner. The extremities of the screws 7 attachthe blade to the blade carrying arm 4 and preferably work in threadedapertures in the bar 8 which is applied to the side of the arm 4opposite that against which the blade is placed.

(lo-acting with the blade 6 is a cutter bar 9. This cutter bar 9 ismounted within the base or stand 1, and its edge is designed to projectslightly above the bed- 2 or he substantially flush therewith, and inthe present instance said cutter bar is provided with attaching screws10, which pass through slots 11 in the cross bar 12, said cross barbeing secured in any desired way within the base. The extremities of thescrews 10 preferably work in a connecting bar 13 and the slots 11,

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

as is manifest, provide for the adjustment of the cutter bar. The crossbar 12 is preferably detachable, which is rendered advisable in orderthat the cutter bar 9 may be adjusted; hence the cross bar is in thepresent instance shown as provided with ears 14 through which screwsextend to detachably connect the bar to the lower face of the bed 2.

15 designates a casing in the form of a ter is obvious.

slot which is mounted for longitudinal movement at one end of the bed 2,in grooves 16, that are formed in the inner face of the front and rearsides of the stand or base 1. In order that the sliding casin 15 may beadjusted, I have provided it with a forked lug 17 in which an adjustingscrew 18 is swiveled, the inner end of the screw working in a cross bar19 which may be formed integrally with the base 1. The casing 15contains any desired number of gaging devices 20 that are in the form ofpins with rounded heads, said pins being mounted for a longitudinalmovement in the casing, such movement being limited by stops 21.

Springs 22 are mounted within the casing 15 and tend to press the gagingdevices 20 toward the cutter bar 9, the under side of the heads of thegaging devices, (preferably somewhat rounded as shown) lying in a planeparallel to that of the cutter bar and more or less in the path of theedge of the knife or blade 6. These gaging devices serve a two-foldpurpose, namely, they constitute a brace against which the end of theenvelop ispressed preparatory to bringing the blade down on the end, toclip off the same, and at the same time, as is evident, they press uponthe outer face of the blade 6 as it is swung down and thereby exert atension on the blade against the cutter bar so that an efiectiveshearing cut is made. The blade supporting arm 1 is preferably formedwith recesses 23 to provide clearances forrthe heads of the gagingdevices 20 when the blade is swung down and over the bed'2. By adjustingthe gaging devices in or out by means of the slidable casing 15, thesize of the cut may be varied.

The base 1 is provided at the rear side of the bed 2 with a rib or ledge24 against which the envelop or envelops may be pressed, and the bed ispreferably formed with a recess 25, through which the thumb oftheoperator may be passed, so as to more conveniently and easily hold theenvelops as they are being sheared.

From the foregoing description in con nection with the accompanyingdrawings, the operation of my improved envelop out- In the preferred useof the device, the operator will place the envelops on the bed 2, withtheir upper edges resting against the ledge 24, with one end against thegaging devices 20, all of the fingers of his hand preferably restingupon the envelops while the thumb engages the lower edges of theenvelops, and enters more or less into the recess 25, according to thesize of the envelops being cut. A downward movement of the blade 6 willthen obviously clip off a preferably very small portion of the envelopsin succession, at one end, and their contents may then be easilyextracted. As above noted, it is only necessary to ma- L l i x nipulatethe ad ust1ng screw 18 so as to slide the casing in or out, in order tolncrease or decrease the size of the portion clipped off.

Having thus described the invention, what.

isclaimed as new is;

1. An envelop cutter comprising a base, yieldable and rounded gagingdevices carried by the base and designed to form an end stop for theenvelop, a cutter bar mounted in the base, and a blade mounted on saidbase and coacting with the cutter bar and arranged to be moved acrossand into engagement with the gaging devices in its movement toward thecutter bar.

2. An envelop cutter, comprising a base, a blade adapted to be movedover said base and yieldable gaging devices provided with rounded headssaid gaging devices being carired by the base and designed to form anend stop for the envelop underneath the blade.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a bladeadapted to move across the base, a movable casing mounted in the base,means for adjusting said casing in the base, and yieldable gagingdevices carried by the base and positioned underneath the blade. 7

1. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a bladeadapted to move across the base, and yieldable gaging devices mounted inthe base and arranged to press upon the blade.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a cutter barmounted in the base, a blade connected to the base and arranged to bemoved across the same into engagement with the cutter bar, and a seriesof spring pressed headed pins mounted in the base, the heads of saidpins extending in a plane parallel to the plane of the cutter bar, saidpins being mounted underneath the blade. 7

6. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a casingmounted in the base, the base being formed at front and rear withgrooves in which the ends of the casing are mounted fora slidablemovement, spring pressed pins mounted in said casing, means for limitingthe movement of said pins, a cutter bar mounted in the base, and a bladeconnected to said base and. co-acting with said cutter bar and arrangedto be moved into engagement with said pins.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a base, provided witha bed, said bed being provided at its rear side with a ledge, and at itsfront side with a recess, a cutter bar secured in said base, and a bladeconnected to said base and co-acting with said cutter bar.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a cutter barmounted in said'base, a casing slidably mounted in said base, contiguousto said cutter bar, the cas ing being provided With a forked lug, across bar secured in the base, an adjusting screw swiveled in said lugand Working in said cross bar, yielding gaging devices carried by saidcasing, and a blade connected g ith said base and co-acting With saidcutter ar. g

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

CHRISTIAN A. FISCHER. [1,. 5.]

. Witnesses:

G120. A. BANGS, GEO. F. SHAFER.

